


lather and rinse

by murakamism



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Canon Era, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, honestly idk what genre this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 18:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4755932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murakamism/pseuds/murakamism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m taking a bath,” Levi says, turning away into the bathroom. The noise of his footsteps disappears as he removes his boots and then his jacket, his straps. Eren follows, always follows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	lather and rinse

**Author's Note:**

> Super rushed & unbeta'd contribution for **Ereri Canonverse Week Day 2: Cleaning Day**
> 
>  
> 
> ~~can you tell i got too lazy halfway through~~

They arrive at headquarters right as the sun sets, casting everyone in hues of orange and purple. Eren hopes the night won’t be long.

The weight of another expedition beats down on all of them. In the end there is nothing but their exhaustion. Whatever feeble victory they’ve earned is far from their minds.

But they are back, and they are home.

Eren’s body is stiff and heavy. Whatever heaviness he’s brought back with him has made its way deep inside, even deeper than his skin and his bones. He will heal, and he will regain his strength, and then he can think.

There’s no energy for thinking right now.

They mechanically return their horses to the stables and enter the castle before going their separate ways. Eren knows he should be hungry—their journey had been long and tense, especially after encountering two unexpected mobs of aberrant titans—but he isn’t. Whatever hunger he should feel is overpowered by the urge to sleep for a week.

Or at least, to try and sleep.

He catches Captain Levi disappear into his quarters from the corner of his eye. Eren barely thinks before following him, catching the door right before it shuts behind his commanding officer.

Levi glances at him without any surprise. The door shuts behind Eren, creaking all the while. They stand in silence.

“I’m taking a bath,” Levi says, turning away into the bathroom. The noise of his footsteps disappears as he removes his boots and then his jacket, his straps. Eren follows, always follows.

“Can I join you?” Eren asks, voice breathless. The circles under Levi’s eyes are dark as ever, but for a moment one corner of his mouth pulls upwards into a tiny smile. He nods, almost imperceptibly, and then they are quiet once more.

Whether or not they are too tired to speak, though that’s also partially it, Eren knows that there’s no need for words. The sound of rushing water fills up the room. Steam rises from the surface—these heated pipes were thanks to Hanji, of course—and curls about.

They undress in silence, taking time to fold and keep their clothes. The tub is big enough for both of them but it’s Levi’s, so Eren expects him to step in first.

Instead, the captain looks at him, a thoughtful twinkle in those tired eyes.

“Levi?” Eren asks, his voice low as a whisper. Levi pulls him close, a guiding hand on his hip, and sighs.

“Get in before the water gets cold,” Levi replies, not meeting his eyes. Eren doesn’t say anything.

He sinks into the bath. A sigh immediately leaves his lips once he feels the heat from the water. It’s almost burning, almost unbearable, but with his abnormally high temperature he doesn’t mind too much anyway.

Levi follows, planting a careful foot into the bath. He grips the edges of the tub and settles in, exhaling heavily as he sits. Eren’s legs are cramped and bent to make space for both of them but he smiles anyway, smiles as Levi closes his eyes and leans back.

The captain’s pale skin grows pink and red. Eren wonders if it’s too hot for him, but the man isn’t complaining. Instead he stretches out a leg until their calves bump together. Eren watches every stretch, every sigh, every movement.

Levi looks at him, a question on his face, but he turns his head to the side and reaches out for a bottle. Eren drags his fingertips along the water, causing tiny ripples. His knees stick out from the water, almost like hills or islands.

“Come here,” Levi says. Eren raises a brow but scoots closer anyway, tugging himself along by gripping the edges of the tub. Levi grabs his shoulder and pulls him closer. Eren is all limbs and long torso so he grins, almost embarrassed. He feels like an awkward spider with too many legs—

Levi’s thumb rubs the skin of his shoulder gently, soothingly.

Eren kneels down between Levi’s legs. Without another word the man reaches up to wet Eren’s hair. His arms are slightly too short so Eren bends his head down and tries not to grin. Levi frowns, brows furrowed in concentration, and the view is so precious Eren has to try harder not to bare all his teeth in a face-splitting grin.

The captain pours the contents of the bottle into his palms and gently runs his hands through Eren’s hair. Eren sighs and closes his eyes, humming. Levi’s hands—so rough, so calloused, marked by death—are soft when he touches Eren, massages his scalp, washes his hair. The boy sighs, lets him untangle knots of brown hair, and hopes that he won’t fall asleep in the bath.

Levi has done this for him before: right after titan training, when Eren is so exhausted that he needs help standing up; on a quiet night where Levi decides that he wants to pamper this boy for no discernible reason (Eren sees no reason why); and on even later nights when they are sticky and sated and exhausted—most of the time Levi insists on bathing right after sex, and Eren will join him even when he’s fighting to keep his eyes open.

But never has Levi done this right after an expedition, right when the day’s corpses are still fresh in their minds. Eren feels sick, almost, that they’re trying to wash away the blood from their hands and the memory of all that they could not achieve. He shudders. Levi’s feather light touch is suddenly—

“Stop thinking,” Levi says, interrupting his thoughts.

Eren opens his eyes. They’ve gone watery so he blinks rapidly. Levi frowns, brows crinkling in concern. He scratches Eren’s scalp in a particularly nice way and Eren shivers, mouthing an apology as he shuts his eyes once more.

“Okay,” Eren whispers, because what else is there to say?

He swallows. Levi removes his hands from his hair and rinses them out. Eren watches the captain reach out for the same bottle once more.

“Wait,” he says, placing a hand on Levi’s wrist. Levi’s eyes flick up towards him, questioning. Eren holds the bottle, his fingers brushing against Levi’s own. “Let me wash your hair too?”

It comes out as a question. Levi has never let him wash his hair. He’s let him wash his back and helped him undress, but never his hair. The only time Eren had ever asked feels so long ago. Levi had only said that he wouldn’t do it properly.

It’s been months.

Levi tilts his head to the side and drops the bottle in Eren’s grip. Eren beams at him and Levi’s eyes crinkle at the edges.

Small victories, Eren thinks.

He knows his hands are clumsier but he tries anyway. Levi threatens to castrate him if he goes blind but Eren just laughs, offering a quiet apology. He presses his lips to Levi’s eyelid—barely missing the trail of stray shampoo—and the man grumbles. His face goes red and Eren knows if he’d mention it Levi would blame the heat.

Eren copies what Levi has done for him. He loves the captain’s hair—always has—and it’s soft even when wet. The man looks younger in the bath, almost less dangerous, and Eren smiles. He feels the captain relax in his arms and it only makes him happier, knowing that at least he can do this much. How many people has Levi shown this side of himself to?

What has made Eren different?

By the time they start soaping themselves the water has gone mostly lukewarm. Eren splashes water while scrubbing his legs and Levi flings some water into his face in return.

“Hey!” Eren exclaims. Levi snickers in front of him, his hair still dripping water and shampoo. Eren instantly pounces, but before he can soak the captain any further the man has his arms trapped. Eren squirms, frowning as the amusement shows on Levi’s face.

“Water will get cold,” Eren mumbles, conceding to his defeat. Levi snorts. He presses a kiss to Eren’s jaw before releasing his arms.

They try to finish up their baths. When Levi can’t reach his back Eren calls him an old man and gets a splash of soapy water into his face and his hair. He coughs and then starts laughing, clutching his stomach.

Levi scoots closer, concerned but also pleasantly surprised that such a thing can make this boy laugh.

“You’re terrible,” Eren croaks out. Levi sighs, watching him wipe away the water from his eyes. Eren’s back is still slumped and his eyes are red and tired, but with the way he laughs Levi wants to kiss him, dripping with suds and all.

“I know,” Levi replies. He dumps clean water on both of them, effectively rinsing out the rest of the shampoo from their hair. The water splashes and spills over the tub, forming puddles into the floor. But Eren shoves him playfully and he doesn’t even notice.

Even later that night, with the tub drained empty and the puddles dried and mopped, Eren buries himself in Levi’s sheets and pillows and the captain—

The captain holds Eren, the boy tucked under his chin and dead asleep to the world.

Eren has come back to him—warm and alive. Eren has returned to him, has sought him out, has kissed him even when both of their hands have been stained redder than ever.

A successful expedition—the phrase leaves a bitter taste in Levi’s mouth.

But there are tiny victories that make another sunrise worth waking up to, he supposes. He should start following his own advice.

Eren doesn’t even mumble in his sleep, instead clutching the edge of Levi’s nightshirt. The captain falls asleep, and all bitter thoughts scatter and disappear, leaving them alone for one more night.


End file.
